Wentworth's bill requiring single-member districts for Austin

H/T from ChangeAustin, they have asked their members to support and lobby for a bill authored by Sen Wentworth, which calls on large cities - like Austin - to have single-member districts for their city council, with an at-large elected Mayor. Here is the text of the bill. It is well worth supporting.

By: Wentworth S.B. No. 380

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT
relating to the election of the governing body of certain
municipalities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 26, Local Government Code,
is amended by adding Section 26.048 to read as follows:
Sec. 26.048. CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES WITH POPULATION OF
500,000 OR MORE: ELECTION FROM SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS. (a) The
governing body of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or
more must consist of a mayor elected at large and at least six
members elected from single-member districts. A member must reside
in the district the member represents.
(b) The municipality may provide for the staggering of the
terms of the members of the municipality's governing body.
(c) A single-member district must be compact and consist of
contiguous territory. To the extent practicable, all single-member
districts must be of equal population.
(d) This section does not prevent a municipality from having
additional members elected to the governing body from the
municipality at large.
(e) A municipality must comply with this section beginning
with the first general election of members to the municipality's
governing body that occurs after the year in which the federal
decennial census indicates that the municipality meets the
population requirements of Subsection (a).
SECTION 2. A municipality to which Section 26.048, Local
Government Code, as added by this Act, applies on the effective date
of this Act must comply with the requirements of that section
beginning with the first general election of members to the
municipality's governing body that occurs after December 31, 2011.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2011.